Abstract: An acoustic attenuation device extends from a first end to a second end and includes first and second sheets. A plurality of webs positioned between the first and second sheets cooperates with the first and second sheets to form a series of sound attenuation chambers containing a volume and mass of fluid. A first panel secured to the sheets closes the chambers at the first end of the device. A second panel secured to the sheets closes the chambers at the second end of the device. The device further includes first and second openings associated with each chamber and through which excited fluid resonates. The first and second openings extend through the first sheet into each chamber. The first openings have an invariable cross-section. At least one of the second openings has an adjustable cross-section for varying a resonant frequency of the chamber.

Abstract: An underwater acoustic projector system that includes a linear array of acoustic projectors in close proximity such that the acoustic projectors interact with one another when they produce acoustic pressures, wherein each acoustic projector in the linear array is spaced apart from an adjacent acoustic projector by a respective distance, and wherein the respective distance between two acoustic projectors proximate the center of the linear array is greater than the respective distance between two acoustic projectors proximate the end of the linear array.

Abstract: Provided herein are embodiments directed to a wireless speaking tube for a stroller. In one or more embodiments, the speaking tube has one or more inlets for receiving sound (e.g., human speech), which then mechanically directs the sound through a series of angled portions and flexible portions to one or more outlets. In one or more embodiments, the speaking tube is attached to a stroller arm such that the inlet is suitable for receiving sounds emanating from a child seated in the stroller, and such that the outlet amplifies the received sounds to a person pushing the stroller. In one or more embodiments, the positions of the inlet and the outlet are reversed, or the speaking tube includes two-way communication between child and person pushing the stroller.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a positioning method and apparatus in a three-dimensional space of reverberation. The method includes the following steps: constructing a three-dimensional space frame surrounding a point sound source and a sound receiver, and acquiring barycentric coordinates of the three-dimensional space frame; establishing an X-Y coordinate system by using the barycentric coordinates as the origin; determining a vector from the sound receiver to the barycentric coordinates and a facing angle between the sound receiver and the barycentric coordinates according to the established X-Y coordinate system; and obtaining reverberation intensity through calculation according to the vector from the sound receiver to the barycentric coordinates and the facing angle between the sound receiver and the barycentric coordinates, and using the reverberation intensity as a control parameter.

Abstract: A device may identify a plurality of sources for outputs that the device is configured to provide. The plurality of sources may include at least one of a particular application in the device, an operating system of the device, a particular area within a display of the device, or a particular graphical user interface object. The device may also assign a set of distinct voices to respective sources of the plurality of sources. The device may also receive a request for speech output. The device may also select a particular source that is associated with the requested speech output. The device may also generate speech having particular voice characteristics of a particular voice assigned to the particular source.

Abstract: A system and method for out-of-vocabulary compound word handling is provided. Embodiments may include storing a plurality of compound word rules and compound word dictionaries in a database. Embodiments may also include evaluating membership criteria associated with a received compound word, wherein membership criteria includes at least one of dictionary based or part of speech (POS) based criteria. Embodiments may further include applying one or more filtering rules to the received compound word.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for speech-based information pushing, wherein the method includes: receiving a speech; extracting at least one personalized feature from the speech; and pushing to-be-sent information to a user corresponding to the speech based on the at least one personalized feature. By pushing the to-be-sent information based on the personalized feature in the speech, the method may provide targeted personalized services dependent on different user features, which enhances the accuracy of information push and satisfies the user's personalized needs.

Abstract: A computer system for language modeling may collect training data from one or more information sources, generate a spoken corpus containing text of transcribed speech, and generate a typed corpus containing typed text. The computer system may derive feature vectors from the spoken corpus, analyze the typed corpus to determine feature vectors representing items of typed text, and generate an unspeakable corpus by filtering the typed corpus to remove each item of typed text represented by a feature vector that is within a similarity threshold of a feature vector derived from the spoken corpus. The computer system may derive feature vectors from the unspeakable corpus and train a classifier to perform discriminative data selection for language modeling based on the feature vectors derived from the spoken corpus and the feature vectors derived from the unspeakable corpus.

Abstract: Disclosed is a speech search device including a recognizer 2 that refers to an acoustic model and language models having different learning data and performs voice recognition on an input speech, to acquire a recognized character string for each language model, a character string comparator 6 that compares the recognized character string for each language models with the character strings of search target words stored in a character string dictionary, and calculates a character string matching score showing the degree of matching of the recognized character string with respect to each of the character strings of the search target words, to acquire both a character string having the highest character string matching score and this character string matching score for each recognized character strings, and a search result determinator 8 that refers to the acquired score and outputs one or more search target words in descending order of the scores.

Abstract: Technologies are described herein for cross-language speech recognition and translation. An example method of speech recognition and translation includes receiving an input utterance in a first language, the input utterance having at least one name of a named entity included therein and being pronounced in a second language, utilizing a customized language model to process at least a portion of the input utterance, and identifying the at least one name of the named entity from the input utterance utilizing a phonetic representation of the at least one name of the named entity. The phonetic representation has a pronunciation of the at least one name in the second language.

Abstract: According to an in-vehicle control apparatus, it is configured to receive information of a plurality of operation keys displayed on a display, to identify from a result of voice recognition of a user's speech, the operation key corresponding thereto on the basis of the information of the operation keys, and to execute a function assigned to the operation key upon receiving an instruction for execution by the user using a decision key, so that it is possible to perform an operation without making contact directly with the plurality of operation keys displayed on the display and without the need of a complex key operation. Further, solely by mounting just one decision key on a steering wheel, it becomes possible to safely perform the operation about the operation key displayed on the display without the user releasing his/her hand from the steering wheel during driving.

Abstract: An electronic device may capture a voice command from a user. The electronic device may store contextual information about the state of the electronic device when the voice command is received. The electronic device may transmit the voice command and the contextual information to computing equipment such as a desktop computer or a remote server. The computing equipment may perform a speech recognition operation on the voice command and may process the contextual information. The computing equipment may respond to the voice command. The computing equipment may also transmit information to the electronic device that allows the electronic device to respond to the voice command.

Abstract: An automatic speech recognition system includes an audio capture component, a speech recognition processing component, and a result processing component which are distributed among two or more logical devices and/or two or more physical devices. In particular, the audio capture component may be located on a different logical device and/or physical device from the result processing component. For example, the audio capture component may be on a computer connected to a microphone into which a user speaks, while the result processing component may be on a terminal server which receives speech recognition results from a speech recognition processing server.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for initiating an action uses text converted from a user's speech. A user's speech is converted into text using an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system of a device. A first group of words is determined from the text meeting a first criteria. The text of the first group of words is displayed on a user interface of the device. A first action is initiated in response to the user's selection of a word in the first group. The results of the first action are presented using the user interface of the device.

Abstract: According to embodiments described herein, a circuit includes an interface circuit configured to be coupled to a transducer and a detection circuit. The interface circuit is configured to provide a digital output signal to a signal input terminal of a processing circuit. The detection circuit is configured to receive the digital output signal and provide a low power enable signal to a low power enable terminal of the processing circuit. In the various embodiments, the digital output signal is based on a transduced signal from the transducer and the low power enable signal is determined by comparing the digital output signal with a first threshold.

Abstract: An audio processor may receive audio input channels including stereo channels and one or more surround channels. The audio processor may downmix the audio input channels into stereo output channels; developing the stereo output channels into upmixed audio channels including at least one additional surround channel not present in the audio input channels; delay the audio input channels into delayed audio channels that are time-aligned with the upmixed audio channels; and mix the delayed audio channels and the upmixed audio channels into audio output channels.

Abstract: Dynamic range compression in the hearing aids is provided for restoring normal loudness of low level sounds without making the high level sounds uncomfortably loud. An apparatus along with a method using sliding-band compression is disclosed for significantly reducing the temporal and spectral distortions generally associated with the currently used single and multiband compression techniques. It; uses a frequency-dependent gain function calculated on the basis of auditory critical bandwidth based short-time power spectrum and the specified hearing thresholds, compression ratios, and attack and release times. It is realized using FFT-based analysis-synthesis and can be integrated with other FFT-based signal processing in hearing aids and audio systems.

Abstract: Methods and arrangements in a codec for supporting bandwidth extension, BWE, of an harmonic audio signal. The method in the decoder part of the codec comprises receiving a plurality of gain values associated with a frequency band b and a number of adjacent frequency bands of band b. The method further comprises determining whether a reconstructed corresponding frequency band b? comprises a spectral peak. When the band b? comprises a spectral peak, a gain value associated with the band b? is set to a first value based on the received plurality of gain values; and otherwise the gain value is set to a second value based on the received plurality of gain values. The suggested technology enables bringing gain values into agreement with peak positions in a bandwidth extended frequency region.

Abstract: An encoding device according to the disclosure includes a first encoding unit that generates a first encoded signal in which a low-band signal having a frequency lower than or equal to a predetermined frequency from a voice or audio input signal is encoded, and a low-band decoded signal; a second encoding unit that encodes, on the basis of the low-band decoded signal, a high-band signal having a band higher than that of the low-band signal to generate a high-band encoded signal; and a first multiplexing unit that multiplexes the first encoded signal and the high-band encoded signal to generate and output an encoded signal. The second encoding unit calculates an energy ratio between a high-band noise component, which is a noise component of the high-band signal, and a high-band non-tonal component of a high-band decoded signal generated from the low-band decoded signal and outputs the ratio as the high-band encoded signal.

Abstract: A weighting function determination method includes obtaining a line spectral frequency (LSF) coefficient or an immitance spectral frequency (ISF) coefficient from a linear predictive coding (LPC) coefficient of an input signal and determining a weighting function by combining a first weighting function based on spectral analysis information and a second weighting function based on position information of the LSF coefficient or the ISF coefficient.

Abstract: An autocorrelation calculating part calculates autocorrelation Ro(i) from an input signal. A predictive coefficient calculating part performs linear predictive analysis using modified autocorrelation R?o(i) obtained by multiplying the autocorrelation Ro(i) by a coefficient wo(i). Here, a case is comprised where, for at least part of each order i, the coefficient wo(i) corresponding to each order i monotonically decreases as a value having positive correlation with a pitch gain in an input signal of a current frame or a past frame increases.

Abstract: Several embodiments include a remote tracker for a videography drone. The remote tracker can include a spatial information sensor and a microphone configured to capture audio data surrounding the remote tracker. The remote tracker can also include a logic control component configured to decorate the audio data with location-based metadata or temporal metadata. A network interface of the remote tracker can communicate with the videography drone, including streaming the audio data captured by the microphone to the videography drone.

Abstract: Higher Order Ambisonics represents three-dimensional sound independent of a specific loudspeaker set-up. However, transmission of an HOA representation results in a very high bit rate. Therefore compression with a fixed number of channels is used, in which directional and ambient signal components are processed differently. For coding, portions of the original HOA representation are predicted from the directional signal components. This prediction provides side information which is required for a corresponding decoding. By using some additional specific purpose bits, a known side information coding processing is improved in that the required number of bits for coding that side information is reduced on average.

Abstract: The privacy-preserving energy-efficient speaker implementations described herein improve user privacy while a user is listening to audio and can reduce the energy necessary to output the audio. This can be done by using parametric speakers and/or traditional loud-speakers. Signal splitting and masking can be used to improve user privacy. Additionally, a signal modulation technique which significantly reduces power requirements to output an audio signal, especially in the context of using parametric speakers, can also be employed.

Abstract: According to some aspects, a method for improving understandability of audio corresponding to dictation to assist a transcriptionist in transcribing the dictation is provided. The method comprises presenting a user interface to the transcriptionist, the user interface including at least one control that can be selectively set to one of a plurality of settings, receiving a selection of one of the plurality of settings via the at least one control, and equalizing at least a portion of the audio using at least one parameter value associated with the selected setting.

Abstract: An electronic device and a method for controlling the same are provided. The electronic device includes a storage configured to store domain information that is categorized for dialogue subjects, a speaker configured to output a system response based on a user utterance sound, and a processor configured to detect a domain, among the domain information, based on the user utterance sound, determine one among the detected domain and a previous domain as a domain to be used to process the user utterance sound, based on a confidence between the user utterance sound and the detected domain, and process the user utterance sound to generate the system response, based on the determined domain.

Abstract: An automatic content recognition system that includes a user device for the purpose of capturing audio and generating an audio signature. The user device may be a smartphone or tablet. The system is also capable of determining the conditions present at the time of capture of the audio information, environmental conditions. The environmental conditions may include one or more of day, date, time, location, network, motion, orientation, etc. The system may have a database within the user device or the user device may communicate with a server having a database that contains reference audio signatures. The system can identify conditions present at the time of capture of an audio signature that is an acceptable match to a reference audio signature and use the identified conditions to determine conditions under which the system will capture audio content and generate audio signatures.

Abstract: In a computer system for navigating to a location in recorded content, a computer receives a descriptive term or phrase associated with a searchable tag. The searchable tag corresponds to a point-in-time at which a non-speech sound occurred during the recording of recorded content of a communication between a plurality of participants. The recorded content includes speech from one or more of the plurality of participants, the descriptive term includes an automatically generated phonetic translation of the non-speech sound, and the non-speech sound was transmitted to the plurality of participants during the recording. The computer navigates to a location in the recorded content corresponding to the point-in-time at which the non-speech sound occurred.

Abstract: Three systems for the destruction of the data storage portion of electronic media storage devices such as hard disk drives, solid state drives and hybrid hard drives. One system utilizes a mill cutter with which the hard drive has relative motion in the direction of the axis of the mill cutter to destroy the data storage portion. A second system utilizes a laser to physically destroy the data storage portion. The third system utilizes a chemical solvent to chemically destroy the data storage portion.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed for deferring storage operations (e.g., writes or reads) during hostile events. When a data storage device experiences a hostile event, e.g., a vibration, shock, etc. contact by a head of the data storage device with a disk surface can cause errors or indeed damage. The technology can cause a data storage device to suspend storage operations until the hostile event is no longer detected.

Abstract: An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a module having first and second transducers of different transducer types positioned towards a media facing side of the module. The apparatus also includes a first protection structure for protecting the first transducer. The first protection structure includes a recessed portion of the media facing side adjacent the first transducer. The second transducer is protected by a second protection structure that is different than the first protection structure. The second protection structure includes a recessed portion of the media facing side adjacent the second transducer. An extent of recession of the recessed portion of the media facing side adjacent the second transducer is not as great as an extent of recession of the recessed portion of the media facing side adjacent the first transducer.

Abstract: A method and system provide a magnetic transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS). The method includes providing a first shield, a first read sensor, an antiferromagnetically coupled (AFC) shield that includes an antiferromagnet, a second read sensor and a second shield. The read sensors are between the first and second shields. The AFC shield is between the read sensors. An optional anneal for the first shield is in a magnetic field at a first angle from the ABS. Anneals for the first and second read sensors are in magnetic fields in desired first and second read sensor bias directions. The AFC shield anneal is in a magnetic field at a third angle from the ABS. The second shield anneal is in a magnetic field at a fifth angle from the ABS. The fifth angle is selected based on a thickness and a desired AFC shield bias direction for the antiferromagnet.

Abstract: A flexure for mounting a plurality of reproduction elements thereon includes a metal base and an interconnection part. The metal base includes a first area, and a second area in which a window portion is formed. The interconnection part includes an insulating layer including a first lane which covers the first area and a second lane which covers the second area, a write trace pair connected to a recording element, read trace pairs provided on the second lane to face the window portion and connected to reproduction elements, respectively, and a ground trace arranged between two adjacent read trace pairs and provided with grounding points at two end portions.

Abstract: Various devices and systems may benefit from enhanced reading of optical media. For example, certain computer systems may benefit from array reading of optical media. An apparatus may include, for example, an array of optical sensors. The array of optical sensors may be configured to read a plurality of parallel linear strips of data from an optical medium.

Abstract: An optical information device and an optical information processing method which can perform high-speed and accurate positioning are provided. An optical information device which reproduces information from and/or records information on an optical information recording medium on which interference patterns between signal light and reference light are recorded as a hologram includes: an optical system which emits an optical beam; an aperture unit which passes at least a portion of reproduced light acquired when the optical beam from the optical system is radiated onto the optical information recording medium; a first detection unit which detects at least a portion of the reproduced light; a second detection unit which detects the position of the aperture unit; and a control unit which, based on a first signal acquired from the first detection unit and a second signal acquired from the second detection unit, controls the position of the aperture unit.

Abstract: A reference beam adjusting method for reproducing information recorded on an optical information recording medium by utilizing interference of a signal beam with a reference beam includes a step of changing the wavelength of the reference beam; a step of changing the angle of the reference beam to the optical information recording medium; a step of detecting a brightness distribution of the reproduction image from the optical information recording medium; a step of calculating a gravity center dispersion in the brightness distribution of the reproduction image; and a step of controlling the angle and wavelength of the reference beam based on the gravity center dispersion.

Abstract: An optical information storage medium includes a multilayer film that includes a plurality of extruded alternating active data storage layers and buffer layers, which separate the active data storage layers. The active data storage layers and buffer layers have thicknesses that allow the active data storage layers to be writable by non-linear or threshold writing processes to define data voxels within the active data storage layers that are readable by an optical reading device.

Abstract: An optical device, such as an optical storage medium, comprises a layer of material in the solid state that has a refractive index that is switchable between at least two stable values by applied light. A reflector is spaced apart from the layer of material by a solid spacer layer transmissive to light.

Abstract: A computer-readable medium, controller and a method of automatically recording a sound signal is provided. A sound signal is received by the controller from a sound generating device. A frequency of the received sound signal is determined by the controller. When the determined frequency is within a predetermined frequency range, the controller starts recording the received sound signal.

Abstract: There is provided a tape cartridge housing case, the case including (1) a case body having an upper wall portion that covers an upper face of a tape cartridge, a lower wall portion that covers a lower face of the tape cartridge, and an opening that the tape cartridge is inserted and removed through, (2) a first protrusion that is formed at an inner face of the lower wall portion, and that anchors an anchored portion, (3) a recess that is formed at an outer face of the lower wall portion at a position so as to be on the opposite side to the first protrusion in a front face-back face relationship, and (4) a second protrusion that is formed at an outer face of the upper wall portion at the same position as the recess in plan view.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating music videos synchronized with an audio track are provided. In some embodiments, an audio track may be selected and one or more video takes may be captured while the selected audio track plays. The video takes may be analyzed while they are captured to determine, for example, a video intensity level and/or a number of faces recognized within each take. By capturing the video takes with the audio track, the video takes may be synchronized to the audio tracks so that they are in time with one another. Portions or subsets of the video takes may be paired or matched with certain sections of the audio track based on, for example, the audio characteristics for a particular section and video characteristics of a particular take.

Abstract: A process for improved upscaling and picture optimization in which the original content is analyzed and metadata for the upscaling and optimization of the content is created. The metadata is then provided along with the content tent to a playback device. The playback device can then use the metadata to improve the upscaling and display of the content.

Abstract: An image-capturing device according to the present disclosure includes: an image-capturing unit that captures a moving image and generates first moving image data; and a controller that generates second moving image data based on a cutout area obtained by cutting out a part of an entire area of a moving image indicated by the first moving image data and records the generated second moving image data on a recording medium. The controller changes at least one of a position and a size of the cutout area according to a predetermined instruction of a user and records resultant image data on the recording medium.

Abstract: A method for generating a post-produced video from an original video includes the following. For an (i)th one of a plurality of original video segments, a number (M+1) of video data sets respectively from (k×j)th ones of original video frames of the original video segment is generated. A plurality of post-produced video segments are generated, each of which includes the video data sets for a respective one of the original video segments. A user input selects any one of the post-produced video segments. A post-produced video is generated according to the selection indicative of the user input.

Abstract: A system and method for post-production insertion of audio cues into media files is described, comprising a media transcoder loading into memory a first media file comprising audio tracks arranged along a timeline and an identifier identifying a location on the timeline of the first media file at which an item is to be presented, generating an audio cue tag comprising an audio cue having two or more inaudible audio signals, wherein the audio cue uniquely identifies the item associated with a web page to be accessed by a mobile device, and transcoding the first media file to encode at least some of the one or more audio tracks, embed the audio cue into a first audio track of the first media file, and determining not to compress at least a portion of the first audio track comprising the audio cue while compressing other portions of the first media file.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is one embodiment of an apparatus that includes a housing that defines an interior cavity. The housing also includes a spring aperture. The apparatus further includes a spring coupled to the housing over the spring aperture, with the spring having a deflection portion and a feedthrough aperture. The apparatus also has an electrical connector coupled to the spring and extending through the feedthrough aperture and the spring aperture. The electrical connector may have a plurality of electrical traces extending from a location external to the housing to a location within the interior cavity of the housing.

Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure are directed to methods, apparatuses and approaches involving the use of a moisture absorbing material (e.g., desiccant) to control moisture. As may be implemented consistent with one or more embodiments, moisture is removed from an environmental control module that includes a desiccant material contained within a package. Liquid is deposited inside the package and sealed with the desiccant in the package.

Abstract: Some embodiments include memory arrays. The memory arrays can have global bitlines extending along a first horizontal direction, vertical local bitlines extending perpendicularly from the global bitlines, and wordlines extending along a second horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The global bitlines may be subdivided into a first series at a first elevational level, and a second series at a second elevational level which is different from the first elevational level. The global bitlines of the first series can alternate with the global bitlines of the second series. There can be memory cell material directly between the wordlines and the vertical local bitlines. The memory cell material may form a plurality of memory cells uniquely addressed by wordline/global bitline combinations. Some embodiments include cross-point memory cell units that have areas of about 2 F2.

Abstract: A system can include a memory circuit having a first signal via, a first signal return via, and at least one second signal return via located closer to the control signal via than the first signal return via.

Abstract: A system and technique is disclosed for writing data in a cross-point memory. The state of one or more memory cells of the cross-point memory are sensed and then are continued to be selected and left on. It is then determined which of the one or more memory cells are to change state based on incoming user data that is to be written into the one or more memory cells. The one or more memory cells determined to change state and are still selected to be on are then written by applying a write-current pulse to the memory cells. In one exemplary embodiment, the one or more memory cells comprise one or more phase-change-type memory cell devices.